#bæjarins beztu pylsur

Day 6

So, after getting my ass out of that creepy AirBnB in Hella, I decided that since my plans to meet up with people in Reykjavik for lunch were postponed until later that evening, I might as well extend my drive to the capital city and take a mini detour to Iceland’s Golden Circle. For those who may not know, the Golden Circle is essentially a 300 km loop that connects to Reykjavik. It’s a super popular course for tourists to take, since it’s jam-packed with a lot to see, including waterfalls, geysers, and gorgeous views of the country. It’s especially popular for those who have a day or two layover in Iceland before continuing on to either Europe or North America via Reykjavik. 

Initially, as I was planning my trip, I wanted to avoid the Golden Circle because it’s crawling with so many tourists. But, I decided to brave the crowds anyway, and it actually exceeded my low expectations. First stop was Gullfoss, a large waterfall that is fed by the country’s second largest glacier,  Langjökull. Gullfoss, unlike the other waterfalls I had been to, is much more broad and expansive. And there’s a great story behind conservation of this waterfall, where people sought to build infrastructure around the area to harness its power for energy. But thanks to the hard work and dedication of Sigriður Tómasdóttir and her family, Gullfoss was eventually protected and designated a nature preserve sometime later. 

After enjoying the waterfall from a few different viewpoints, I drove a very short distance to Geysir, which by the name you could guess is a geyser, like “Old Faithful” in the United States. Apparently, the English term “geyser” comes from Iceland’s “Geysir,” with accounts of Iceland’s famed attraction dating back to the late 13th Century. 

About every 2-4 minutes, hot water shoots into the air. Some eruptions are more powerful than others, with many topping out at about 30 meters in the air. It was really fun to watch, and despite being crowded, it was quite enjoyable being surprised every time it erupted. After about a half hour, I hopped back in my car and made my way to Reykjavik to my AirBnB, an Eco-Hostel in Reykjavik that was only a two minute walk to the Magnusson’s with which I stayed with earlier in the week. I was planning on meeting my brother’s friend in town, Lenika. She went to school with my brother at Stanford University in California, and she and her friends just happened to be traveling through Iceland the same time that I was. So, we decided to meet at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, Reykjavik’s (and perhaps the world’s most famous) hot dog stand.  Lenika was joined by her three friends, Emily, Sheela, and Kristen, who are all from Chicago. The four of them are traveling Iceland together, and three of the four are continuing to Europe, as a celebratory trip after they recently graduated from Northwestern’s graduate school in genetic counseling and English.

Back to the hotdogs. What makes them so special? The meet is a combination of lamb, beef, and pork. They put crispy onions on the bottom, fresh onions on top of that, then the hotdog itself, a teeny bit of ketchup, a relish mayo, and their secret hotdog sauce, which is a little browner than Dijon mustard. 

They were really good! The best? Maybe not, but pretty darn good. We ate the hot dogs, walked around town, talked a lot, and then went back to their AirBnB, where we had some Icelandic beers and chit-chatted with some people from Croatia who were also traveling the country.

We talked for hours, and it was a lot of fun getting to know them all. We talked about everything, including celebrities we’ve met, boys and dating, and Lenika’s career as a professional gymnast. She competed for Spain in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. How cool is that? 

I ended up leaving at midnight to get some rest at my hostel before my big day heading up to the  Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the morning.